Strategist
by we'reonfire
Summary: Peeta Mellark prays that he won't have to train Katniss Everdeen for the upcoming females only Quarter Quell. When 17 year old Katniss Everdeen is chosen, she has more potential than anyone realises. Half her life, she's studied hunting strategies of animals of the woods. She was made for this. But with unknown threats lurking, and crushing voices calling her name, will she win?
1. She is Deadly, Prologue

**a/n: **hope you like this new story :) I've been planning for it for a while, and I hope you like it.

***I'll be needing your help for this:** This is **not a full SYOT**. All I'm asking for you to do, is **come up with a girl's name, and the physical attributes of the girl, including a brief personality**. **NO AGE IS REQUIRED**. I may use your ideas for the remaining tributes I have to create. I will give you full credit for the character, but I will be developing the character myself. Each tribute will be known in the next chapter. Please put your character's name in the review section.**This would be a big help for me.* **

**The tribute list will be put in the a/n here so you know who died and who remains alive. **

**SUMMARY:  
- **Peeta Mellark is the sole victor of the 74th Hunger Games. The 3rd Quarter Quell announces that all males are to be made ineligible for the reaping. Katniss Everdeen is chosen as tribute at 17 years old. She's the one of the youngest tributes in the this year's games. But she's faster, wiser, and more agile and stealthy than the all the other tributes. Katniss has spent half her life learning battle strategies of dogs, wolves and big cats. With all the ingredients to the making of a deadly opponent, Katniss is sure to win this Games. With mentor, Haymitch and Peeta giving her valuable advice, she is the most likely to win this year's Games. But, with unknown threats looming over her, and crushing voices calling her name, will she really be the one to win?

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not plan on owning the Hunger Games..

* * *

**STRATEGIST**

I sit nervously at the seats on the stage of the town square. Only girls are to be reaped for the 3rd Quarter Quell.  
"and to show that neither male nor female can overcome the Capitol; each district is to make all males ineligible for the reaping."  
The voice still echoes in my mind. Only females. So one boy will be spared their life. The families with a boy will sigh in relief. I do not. I inhale and exhale as calmly as I can, praying that 17 year old Katniss Everdeen is not chosen this year.  
_Not Katniss. Not Katniss. Not Katniss. _This becomes a mantra, my prayer to whatever makes the universe to not reap my Katniss Everdeen. This'll be my first year of mentoring. And the thought of mentoring Katniss to be slaughtered makes my stomach twist. _She will not be chosen. _I know. I don't know how many slips she has, but I know she won't be chosen. She just can't. With Prim deceased, Gale working in the mines, and her mother distant, she won't have to take out much tesserae for anyone. Poor Primrose Everdeen. She died in a fire. She couldn't even save the poor Hawthorne boy.

Effie claps her hands enthusiastically, after the mayor's speech.  
"Well, wasn't that lovely, as always!" she exclaims. She's in a better mood this year. She's happy that our district finally has another victor. Although, I know she wants a higher district. I can't say I don't blame her. Our district has only 3 victors in total. And only two are alive. Well, Haymitch is half alive in the drunken state he's usually in. But surprisingly, this year, he's sobered up for the reaping. I think he's just run out of liquor.  
"Now, as you all know, all males are to be ineligible for the reaping," says Effie. "so, how about we choose the lucky girl to compete this year!" she exclaims, heels clicking as she makes her way to the glass bowl with Katniss' name entered at least more than twenty times. My palms start to get sweaty, and my hands tremble when Effie fishes agonizingly slow for a name. My breathing is heavier by the time she pulls a name out of the bowl. She bounds to the microphone, eager to call out the name of the girl sent to die in my hands.

_Not Katniss. Not Katniss. Not Katniss. _

"Katniss Everdeen!" Effie's voice rings out, clear as a bell. That's when I notice her. Her small form in the crowd of 17 year old girls in a pale green dress that compliments her icy silver eyes. Her face is alert when her name is called. Her eyes dart to Effie.  
"Well, come on up, dear." Effie says, her bubbly voice suddenly flat. A girl from behind her nudges Katniss to the small aisle that leads to the stage. Peacekeepers grab her wrists softly, and escort her to the stage. She is well-known here. She is the main provider of greens, wild herbs, and mostly meat. She is a calculated hunter. The whole district looks up to her. And now, she's in the Hunger Games. Haymitch pats my knee sympathetically. My jaw clenches, and my hands form a fist.

Effie guides Katniss to the stage and asks everyone in the audience to clap. No-one does. Then, a miracle happens. One girl from the back puts three fingers to her lips and yells,  
"We'll see you soon Katniss!" and the shouting begins.

The entire district shouts Katniss' name. They lift her up. The district believes in Katniss. They believe she'll come home. The weight that's put on her shoulders has just doubled in value. Katniss has to win now. She won't let the district. And judging by the way her chin lifts, and her eyes blaze with fire, she's planning on coming home. And I couldn't be more proud.

* * *

Katniss is ushered into the Justice Building for visitors. I remember my time there. My mother came. She pleaded for forgiveness. And I gave it to her willingly. She was disappointed I wasn't a girl. But thankfully, she lives peacefully with my older brothers in Victor's Village. It's always a riot in there. Gabe and Andrew still keep up the random wrestling matches, they still keep up with the teasing. But they don't say anything about my constant pacing the middle of the night. They know I've been through a lot already. They know not to get me too far-fetched. This makes me realize how silent Katniss' house will be when she wins. Haymitch pulls me aside and roughly slaps the backside of my head.  
"Oh! What the hell was that for?" I ask roughly, rubbing my head. He points a finger at me threateningly.  
"Look, you better keep your emotions in check. I don't want you to drop a bombshell on her on her first day as tribute." The word _tribute_ makes me cringe. I put my hands up and back away.  
"Okay! Okay! Well, I don't exactly want to keep her in the dark about my feelings, so what?" I ask, still rubbing the now sore spot on the back of my head. Haymitch rolls his eyes.  
"You don't get it! The girl is observant, she'll know something is wrong. But to be fair, she is kinda oblivious to boys, right Peeta?" he asks, laughing. I suddenly feel like giving him a bottle of alcohol.  
"Just shut it."

Katniss is still keeping up the strong face, but I know, deep down, she's terrified. Effie guides her to the train, and she stops in her tracks. As she walks slowly, her fingers run across the fabric of the couches, her eyes look longingly at the snacks that she would spend her whole day on, and still not get good enough food like this. She smiles slightly at the district cheering her on. Her whispered words make my heart fill with new hope.  
"I'll see you soon."

* * *

Katniss fidgets as she sits on the soft chair, hands playing with the bottom of her dress. That's when I notice a golden pin fastened on her left. A mockingjay. It's fitting. She can make the birds go silent with her angelic voice after all. Haymitch shoves past me and sits down in front of Katniss. I sit in the other chair.  
"So girl, will you be just another tribute for me to ship back in a box?" Haymitch questions. Katniss shakes her head.  
"No, where are you going with this?" she asks, her eyes curious.  
"Yes, that's what I'd like to know," I mutter, just loud enough for Katniss and Haymitch to hear. Katniss suppresses a grin at my comment.  
"Oh so you're one of _those _tributes?" he asks, rolling his eyes.  
"You mean one of _those_ tributes that you failed to bring home all those years, because you were _drunk_? No, I don't plan on leaving _Haymitch_," she spits his name like it's a sin. I can't help but notice the resemblance between Katniss and Haymitch. Haymitch grows angry, holding the glass in his hands harder. I notice that it's strong liquor.  
"Look, girl. If you plan on coming home, you should start getting people to like you. Because, right now sweetheart, you're not doing a very good job."  
"Were you always like this, Haymitch? If you were, I don't see how _you_ won." I can tell Katniss struck a nerve.  
Haymitch's eyes grow angrier, and he lifts his leg to kick Katniss but she dodges the kick swiftly, twirling gracefully to the side of Haymitch's chair, and plucking the drink out of his hands, and disappears. Gone. Like wind.  
"My drink! Damn bastard! " he spits. And suddenly, Katniss appears behind Haymitch and holds him a strong headlock. The way her hands are positioned on Haymitch's head give her a clear opportunity to crack his neck with a snap of Katniss' strong wrists.  
"You're dead." She spits, pushing his head forward, letting his body fall to the floor with a thud. And the bottle appears on the table, empty of any liquor. Then Katniss disappears again. And then I understand. It wasn't a threat. It was showing Haymitch that she had the best chance of winning, no matter what he said. And I smile.

* * *

Katniss, you're guarenteed a spot in the Vicor's circle.


	2. She is Smart, Chapter One

**a/n:** hey to those who read :) unfortanetly, no-one submitted a girl's name, or appearance in the review section. So I had to come up with the names myself. here is the tribute list:

**3rd Quarter Quell: Tribute List:**

D1: Beam (18)  
D2: Mace (18)  
D3: Camille (18)  
D4: Lana (18)  
D5: Suki (18)  
D6: Maia (18)  
D7: Nita (18)  
D8: Aster (18)  
D9: Calla (18)  
D10: Iris (18)  
D11: Ivy (18)  
D12: Katniss Everdeen (17)

so yeah... I'll put this up and the end of each chapter when we get into the actual games, so everyone is clear of who dies.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hunger Games. If I did, I wouldn't be writing FAN-fiction.

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

"I am NOT helping her."  
"Why not?"  
"She stole my drink."  
"Haymitch, it's just a drink. You can get more." I sigh. Haymitch grows angry.  
"THAT WAS MY LAST DRINK! THE CAPITOL DOESN'T ALLOW ME TO DRINK!" he shouts. I sigh quietly.  
"Haymitch, she was looking out for you. You can't blame her for being concerned," I answer honestly. Haymitch massages his forehead with his fingers.

"Sweetheart is a real piece of work. But I think she has lots of potential to win," Haymitch sighs. It's true. She's practically lived in the forest since Prim died a year ago. With her time in the forest, her archery skills, and her hunting skills, she's made for survival.  
"Where is she?" I ask. Haymitch shrugs nonchalantly.  
"Try the living room," Haymitch and I walk over to the living room to see Katniss writing quickly in a notebook and watching the other tribute's reaping and history. She sits cross legged on the couch with Effie by her side, fixing her makeup.  
"Katniss?" I ask curiously.  
"Hmm?" she asks, not looking up from her notebook.  
"Whatcha got there, sweetheart?" Haymitch asks, plopping down on the seat beside the couch.  
"Just notes on my competition," she answers nonchalantly. I raise my eyebrow at Haymitch. 'smart' he mouths. I nod back.  
"That's good," I answer, sitting beside Katniss watching the screen.  
"Oh, dearie! Show them the strategies you wrote down from your hunting trips!" Effie says gleefully. I've never seen Effie this excited before.  
"Strategies?" I ask Effie. She nods happily.  
"She's got pages and pages and _pages_ of strategies that she could use! Katniss, dear show them!" she exclaims.  
"I'm busy, Effie." She mumbles, still taking notes in her small, neat printing. Effie snatches the notebook from her hands, and wrestles it from Katniss' grip.

"Effie!" Katniss exclaims, trying to wrestle back the book.  
"Oh dearie, there will be repeats of the reaping all night! Just show them!" Effie exclaims, handing me on the book. Katniss sighs and places the pen on her ear, still listening intently to the reaping. I flip through the book, and it's true. She's got pages of hunting strategies used by forest animals. Even animals that don't live close to here.  
"Haymitch look," I say, handing him the book.  
"Don't get liquor stains on that book. That's years of observing in your hands. Don't ruin it." She warns her eyes still locked on the screen. Haymitch takes the book, and flips through the pages, stopping at one particular page.  
"what?" I ask.  
"Sweetheart, _lions_ don't live anywhere near us. Where did you get hunting strategies, anatomy and _pictures_ of them?" he asks disbelievingly. My eyes widen.  
"Lemme see that," I say, snatching the book from his hands.  
"CAREFUL!" Katniss exclaims. I look at the quick sketch of the lion. It's incredible. There are sketches of the muscles, diagrams of the eyes, and precise descriptions of the fur of the thing. I've never seen a lion. It looks intimidating from the sketches. I flip through more of the book and see the same thing for animals I've never heard of. Orca Whales, Polar Bears, Cheetahs, African Wild Dog. Everything. There are even sketches of facial expressions. Did _Katniss _draw these?  
"Katniss, did you draw these?" I ask, still looking through the book. Katniss nods.  
"I had to learn how to draw if I wanted to keep up the plant book we have at home," she says, shutting the TV off.  
"I don't think I can use most of the strategies myself though. Most of them require a pack of wolves, a pride of lions. They require a _team_." She says, taking the book away from me. She flips to the back pages where she has all sorts of sketches. I watch as the pencil slides across the paper quickly and accurately, lines starting to become ears, circles becoming eyes, meaningless shapes turning into paws. And before I know it, a long, lean big cat with a beautifully spotted pelt latching onto a deer-like animal's back appears on the page. Katniss smiles in satisfaction.  
"This is a cheetah. It's the world's fastest animal. It can reach a top speed of 70 miles per hour in less than three seconds," Katniss says, starting another sketch.  
"Well, wouldn't that kill the cheetah? That's like, break neck speed, and wouldn't it have trouble breathing?" Haymitch asks curiously.  
"Well, no. A cheetah has a special ligament on its neck, connecting the head and neck to the spine. So her head stays straight as an arrow, it gives her optic image stabilization, and it keeps her head and neck protected." explains Katniss. "and she has a large nasal cavity, so she takes very effective breathes." She says her eyes still on the paper. I frown thoughtfully.  
"Where did you learn all this?" I ask. Katniss hesitates.  
"I can't tell you the entire story. But, I did have old books and old documentaries that my father found from before the Dark Days. That's where I learnt part of my knowledge," she explains, sitting back to admire her sketch. Another cheetah. A baby cheetah.  
"That's a cub," she points out.  
"Cute," I say, looking at the picture. It's so lifelike. I don't understand how she could get it so lifelike with just books and documentaries. Unless... did she _see_ them?  
"Katniss, how did you bring this here?" I ask curiously. She wasn't holding anything on stage. Katniss smiles mischievously.  
"I hid in my shorts, under my dress. It's not a HUGE notebook, but I didn't want to leave it at home so..." she trails off.

"Well, sweetheart. What can you do?" Haymitch asks, getting into mentor mode. Katniss quirks her eyebrow at the sketch she draws. It's cute.  
"Well, anything really. I know what plants to gather, I know a few basic snares, I can throw knives pretty accurately, and I'm alright with my bow," she says quietly, still sketching another animal. I raise my eyebrows. That's impressive. Haymitch nods thoughtfully.  
"Well! Looks like we could have another luck streak of victors!" Effie exclaims. I almost forgot she was here.  
"Sweetheart, you supply the meat of the district with your bow. You have to be top notch to sell to the butcher." Haymitch says.  
"She is top notch!" I exclaim, watching Katniss glare at her unfinished sketch. "she always hits they eye! Every single time," I say cheerfully. Katniss busies herself with the sketch, and tries to look unconcerned, but the light blush gives her away.  
She flips to the page with the tribute list on it, and she points out a chilling pattern.  
"I'm the youngest." She says, her eyes scanning each of the girl's names. It's true. Next to her dainty writing, the number 18 is written next to all of the tributes.  
"The rest are 18?" Haymitch says disbelievingly.  
"Effie, turn on the TV." Haymitch says, still looking at Katniss in concern. Once the TV comes on, Caesar Flickerman's loud, booming voice echoes across the room.  
"Can you believe it Claudius? The youngest contestant this year, is 17 year old Katniss Everdeen!"  
"Yes, quite odd, Caesar. But it will give us some entertainment to see who she fares in the arena,"  
"Yes, well, I'm sure we're speaking for the entire Capitol here, Miss Everdeen," he says, smiling broadly at the camera.  
"may the odds, be _ever _in your favor."

* * *

Katniss, now you're DEFINITELY going to win this thing.


End file.
